Tower



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.}

B. P. ORTON.

TOWER.

Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

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B. F. OR-TON.

TOWER.

Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. B. P. ORTON.

TOWER.

Patented Dec. 8, 1885..

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

B. F. ORTON.

} v TOWER. No. 331,817. Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

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9 ATENT tries.-

BENJAMIN F. ORTON, OF EAST SAGINAVV, MICHIGAN.

TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,817, dated December 8,1885.

Application filed February 4, 1885. Serial No. 154,897. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN ORTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Towers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of towers, and especially to towers designed for the elevation and support of electric lights.

The general form of tower to which I have shown my invention applied is that described and shown in my prior Patent No. 290,099, dated December 11, 1883."

My invention consists in the improvements in details of construction and the combinations of parts that will be described in connec tion with the accompanying drawings, and then more specifically indicated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper portion of a tower embodying my invention, the lamp-carriage being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lower portion of the tower. Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the spiders, the central mast and guide-rods or pillars being shown in crosssection. Fig. 4. is a detail view of one of the spiders in elevation and partial vertical section. Fig. 5 is a plan of a slightly'modified form of spider. Fig. 6 shows the carriage elevated and the devices for automatically completing the electric connection to the electrio lamps supported by the carriage.

' A indicates the central mast or pillar,which is made in sections of any convenient length, united by screw or other couplings, which latter may consist of collars forming the bodies of the spiders or may be entirely separate and distinct from said spiders. The central mast is made hollow, to form a guide and passage for counterbalanceweights WV, attached to the rope or ropes by which the lamp-carriage is sustained.

B B B, &c., indicate a number of posts arranged about the central mast and connected therewith by suitable braces or spiders. The posts B B B form the guides for the lampcarriage, but are preferably made in the form shown in Fig. 5, where they are shown as made of channel-iron with the channel turned outward to form a guide for the wheels L upon the lamp-carriage. When made in this form,

it is not necessary to use guide-wheels of any particular shape.

The hubs or bodies of the spiders are indicated at C, while D D D, 850., indicate the arms of said spiders, of which there are as many as there are guide-posts B. The hubs or bodies are sleeves upon the central post, and are secured thereto in any desired manner. They serve in the present instance as couplings for adjoining sections of the mast. The spiders are cast in one piece and are made with the vertical strengthening webs E uniting the body with the arms, and also with similar horizontal webs, F. At or near the ends the arms are cast with perforations H, through which the vertical tie or truss rods G pass, the latter being secured to the hubs G of the spiders in any desired or proper manner. The ends of the spider-arms are also provided with the Tshaped heads or flanges,which fit against and conform to the guide-posts B, and are firmly fastened thereto.

The heads are preferably cast in one piece with the arms. The tie rods which pass through the arms of the bottom spider are, as shown in Fig. 2, extended down and fastened on the under side of the feet 0 for a chair or frame upon which the mast A rests.

M indicates the top or seat of the chair, and N the legs thereof. Said chair serves to elevate the central mast, so as to leave a space directly beneath for the drums P, over which passes the rope Q, which extends up through the mast and connects with thelamp-carriage. The guide-posts B pass down through the feet 0 0 into the anchoring foundation, as in dicated.

In Fig. 3, which shows a three-armed spider, the ends of the arms are connected by horizontal tie-rods B R R. Such tierods may, however, be dispensed with, and the horizontal webs F extended, as indicated in Fig. 5, where this modification is shown as applied to a four-arm spider.

At the top of the tower the rope Q, after passing up through the hollow central mast, passes over a wheel, P secured to a frame that is attached to the mast, and is then connected to carriage K, as shown in Fig. 1. Extending downward from the carriage is the rope forming a virtual continuation of the rope Q. If desired, hoisting and lowering ropes Q may be attached to opposite sides of the 1am p-carriage, as shown.

In the tower described in my former patent before referred to the carriage is raised by winding the hoisting-rope upon a drum or Windlass, and is lowered by the excess of weight which the carriage and its attachments havev over the weights connected to the rope within the mast. This excess must be considerable in order to insure the descent of the carriage under unfavorable conditions, and the power required in raising the carriage is more than would otherwise be necessary.

In my present invention, by means of the endless operating-cord, I can apply a positive force to lower as well as raise the carriage, and the force needed is, under usual conditions, very slight, because under this arrangement, instead of making the counterbalanceweights a fraction only of the weight of the carriage, I can and do make them the full equivalent of the weight of the carriage and its attachments.

To make the necessary electrical connection with the lamps upon the carriage when the latter is raised to position, I make use of a plug and spring-socket connection, as shown in Fig. 6, one element of which is mounted in the carriage and in line with the other, which is mounted on a spider or support at the top of the tower.

T Tindicate a pair of springs mounted on the upper spider,but insulated therefrom, and connected with one of the conductors through which the electric current is carried to and from the lamp. The springs T are connected to the other conductor, S. The conductors S S run up and down the central mast, and are supported in suitable insulators, H Upon the carriage K are two conducting-plugs, N N adapted, respectively, to enter between and make connection with the springs. These plugs form the terminals of the lamp-circuit upon the carriage, so that when connection is made by raising the carriage to the position shown the lamps are placed in circuit with the conductors S S. Spring-buffers B, attached to the carriage or to the spider, reduce the shock when the carriage reaches its place.

The guy-ropes are indicated at A and A the former,A being connected to the top of the central mast, A, and the latter, A to the upper spider.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a tower having a central mast or pillar carrying spiders at intervals, a spider cast in one piece and having vertical webs, as E.

2. In a tower having a central mast or pillar, a spider whose arms are provided at their extremities with plates or flanges cast in one piece with the arms, and bearing upon the guide bars or posts, to which they are fastened by suitable screws or bolts.

3. In a tower containing a central post ormast, spiders secured thereto at intervals, and having eyes or openings cast in them for the passage of vertical truss or tie rods, as described.

4. The combination, with the central post or mast and the spiders, of the upright posts fastened to the extremities of the spiders, and formed of channel-iron having its groove presented outwardly, so as to constitutea guidegroove for the carriage.

5. The combination, with the central mast or post, the spiders, and the vertical guiderods at the extremities of the spiderarms, ofhorizontal tie or truss rods connecting the ends of the spider-arms.-

6. The combination, withthe hollow central mastthrough which the rope Q,- passes, of the chair or frame supporting the end of the mast, so as to leave a space directly beneath for the drum and rope.

7. The combination, with the central mast and side posts, of the chair supporting the mast and provided with feet, through which the side posts pass into a suitable anchorage.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of 90 January, A. D. 1885.

BENJAMIN F. ORTON.

Witnesses:

THos. TooMEY, GEO. O. OoFFrN. 

